Putting The Brakes On Unsafe Trucking Companies

FMCSA Grants Exemption to Livestock Haulers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced that drivers of vehicles hauling livestock will be granted a one-year exemption from the 30-minute break requirement during the first eight hours of a shift. This requirement is part of the current Hours-of-Service (HoS) rules for truck drivers to prevent fatigued-related crashes, although drivers transporting agricultural commodities, including livestock, within a 150-air mile radius of the source of those commodities are already exempt from the HoS rules and are not affected by this action. In 2013, FMCSA granted livestock haulers a 90-day waiver during the hot summer months with no adverse effects to safety. As authorized by Congress, FMCSA carefully considers and collects public comments on all applications for exemptions from federal regulations, including HoS for truck drivers. To date, FMCSA has received four petitions for exemptions, which only address the 30 minute break requirement of the HoS rule, and this is the second to be granted. The notice, which has been sent to the Federal Register, can be found here